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December 03, 2013

City (and place) branding is notoriously difficult. Some argue it can’t be done at all, but I disagree. As long as you remember why you are doing it and who you are doing it for, I believe it is possible to define a city in terms of a single core thought.

Canberra is in the process of introducing a new brand, and I haven’t seen the brief, but usually the stakeholders are looking to attract inward investment (which brings in jobs and money), more tourists (who bring in money and create jobs) and attract the best talent, whether these are entrepreneurs, students or skilled workers, moving in from the rest of the country or elsewhere in the world. Get it right and it can help drive the city economy, create more opportunities for everyone, including existing residents, and improve the quality of life for all. I don’t think any city would have an issue with these outcomes. What can also come with this success is an increased sense of civic pride with people speaking positively and spreading the word often more effectively than any marketing activities could achieve.

The primary target audiences for this type of brand usually lives outside the city, in other areas of the country or further a field. These audiences will be very broad and respond to very different messages. So the brand has to work hard, often via national and international campaigns. There is also a need to appeal to the locals, but these are usually the secondary targets, even if they have the louder opinions.

Getting the branding right is obviously the tough bit. A city is made up of so many people, stories, histories, experiences, philosophies and backgrounds, defining and differentiating it from other cities is hard. The brand needs to based on truths and have proof points to back up the core proposition. A city can’t just decide to change the way it markets itself, if it is not happy with the way it actually is. And it also needs to consult widely and test the proposition to make sure it has got it’s thinking right before creating a new visual identity and tone of voice.

In my opinion, Canberra is famous for government, being the capital, administration and for being a bit dull. Its nearly 20 years since I was last there, so I co-opted my good friend and Canberra boy, Marcus Hickman, for help with some more up-to-date views. I enjoyed my stay, but almost everyone he knows who has visited the city has found it boring. Canberra is a quiet but very comfortable place to live, rather than a vibrant and innovative city (which the brand team seems to want it to be).

So whilst I like the new CBR visual identity and the use of the airport abbreviation, I would not associate the city with being confident and bold. This is my big issue with the brand - I don’t think they have got the thinking right. I believe brands need to be aspirational and big enough to grow into, but they also need to be rooted in enough truth for audiences to believe. I suspect Canberra has gone a bit too far with the confident and bold, hoping that the city can grow into this without the sort of backlash that city brands can attract.

If I was looking to define Canberra, it’s not automatically obvious what it’s strengths are. According to Marcus, these would include the National Art Gallery, National Museum of Australia, Parliament House, Tidbinbilla, Canberra Deep Space Tracking Station, Australian War Memorial, National Portrait Gallery, Questacon and politics in general. It’s a bit like a smaller, watered-down version of Washington DC, and maybe the city could have learnt a few things from how that city is branded. The team has obviously rejected a lot of these strengths in the search of something new and more exciting, portraying it as bold and confident, which in my opinion is shaky.

And I’m not surprised that the locals have not responded positively. As well as Australians being a pretty cynical bunch, the city residents have seen-through the definition and rightly asked questions. They also probably don’t really understand why it is being done and why. The proof of the pudding will be in how successful the brand is with its primary targets, and how successful it is in achieving its objectives. Done well, a the brand can bring everyone together and be the platform for significant change, so I hope for Canberra’s sake, it has got its design thinking right and I am wrong.

September 12, 2013

I’ve just come back from my second trip to the
wonderful country that is Japan. I knew before I went how much the Japanese are
into cartoons, characters, manga and anime, but was blown away by how many
organisations and companies are now using mascots as representations of their
brand.

Mascots are everywhere, helping to promote brands as
diverse as bus providers to the local aquarium. My favourites were Hello Kitty
promoting curry, this loveable guy spreading positive vibes about the Tokyo
emergency services, Pokemon (still very much alive over there) and working with
the Giants baseball team (as sported by my son Dylan), and Papa Beard who
entices millions to buy his cream puffs all across the country.

The most popular of all is
Kumamon. He is a genuine household name in a country where celebrities are ten
a penny. His rosy cheeks and unreadable expression appear on hundreds of
products, from sweets and snacks to bags of rice, stationery and toys – part of
a commercial portfolio worth almost 30bn yen last year (apparently). That's not
bad for a cuddly black bear with a mischievous streak, who has risen from
humble beginnings promoting a new bullet train station in southern Japan to become the country's pre-eminent mascot.

And nothing gets the
locals more excited than someone dressed up as their favourite mascot. Whether
you at an event or wandering in the local mall, a dressed up mascot is always
in demand for snap happy, camera phone toting locals. The guy below also
appealed to my wife, Aisling.

Even Japan’s holiest mountain, Koyasan, has a mascot.
This cheeky little fella crops up in amongst some of the most significant
Buddhist temples in Japan, helping to endure thousands of pilgrims to this
wonderful place up in the hills outside Osaka.

And Nara, the former capital city, with its free
roaming wild deer and laidback vibe, has this guy with antlers as their mascot.

I’m not just looking for an excuse to just show some more
of my holiday snaps, here are a few more of my personal favourites from the
trip. I’m not sure what they are ‘selling’, but they all look great!

It all got me thinking about whether this approach
would work for brands in this country? It would certainly help people to trust
a brand more, because everyone would believe a mascot over an evil human being.
How could they ever do anything wrong? At Thompson, we know from experience
that characters included in brand visual identities we have developed can be
extremely popular, so I think the answer is yes. We just need a new and willing
client to try it out with! So come on, give us a call.

June 20, 2013

I've only recently starting cycling again, but once I'd broken in the saddle of my new Marin Bridgeway (courtesy of the Cycle Scheme) I haven't wanted to put it down.

Admittedly I don't know that much about bikes, only what looks nice and what will fulfill my needs aesthetically. Although I have been told it has a Moustache bar, but that's about as extensive as my knowledge gets on this unfortunately. So here's a sneaky spec I stole off the internet...

June 19, 2013

Now I've swapped from a single speed to a proper road bike, it's opened up a huge door to the Yorkshire Dales cycleways. Over the past few weeks I've discovered more little towns tucked away in West and North Yorkshire than I've seen in a lifetime. A couple of favourites to pass through have to be Wike, Plumpton, Eccup, and Weardley – just because it sounds a bit odd!

I ride a Bianchi Nirone, and so far, it's done me proud. It's fast on the straights and nice and light for climbing – I look forward getting plenty of miles done on it.

June 18, 2013

Day 2 has been especially pleasant - the sun is out and look at what's right on our doorstep...ice cream, fish butties and a not so bad view.

Today Rich, Jimmy, Paul and myself had a gentle stroll down to the lake where the boys indulged in a chip shop lunch and we all sat out with the tingling heat warming our faces below our helmets. The perfect midday getaway i'm sure you'll all agree.

Monday was Day 1 of our Bike Week extravaganza - a positive start with Paul, Rachel and Jimmy all cycling their daily commute to work.

At lunch Paul, Rachel, Jimmy and myself rode around the beautiful suburb of Roundhay where our studio is situated in Leeds. Our trip took us through Roundhay Park, around the fields and past the local High School. A few hilly climbs later and we were back at our desks itching to get out and do it all again!

April 11, 2012

Have you seen the 2012 summer festival line-ups? Some cracking stuff going on. I've thought long and hard but my festival of choice this year is Suffolk-based festival of music, comedy, arts, coloured sheep and general strange-goings on, AKA Latitude. Check it out.

April 05, 2012

If you're stuck for a Bank Holiday activity for this weekend, pop down to Yorkshire Sculpture Park and witness sculpture - live.

Artist Florence Peake is coming to Yorkshire to conduct the live build and then deconstruction of a monolithic structure before the eyes of a live audience. The build/performance begins at 17.00, is FREE to attend and will last for about an hour, with refreshments available (theatre-style).

December 21, 2011

If you're anything like us, at this time of year we're inundated with cards, calendars and choccies - most of which will end up in the bin or landfill site... So last year, in the vein of saving the planet and keeping you entertained, we created a Christmas-themed blog and packed it full of Christmas-themed posts that would either inspire, instruct or just generally entertain.

It went so well it looks to have become a new favourite festive tradition of ours - and so for 2011 we've turned blue, gotten crafty and sexist, shared secret recipes, put together an abridged TV run-down and much more. Pop over just for a quick stop and we're pretty sure you'll find something to amuse or assist, whatever your tastes!

November 16, 2011

Some of us are eating carbs like we've never heard of Atkins, some stretching like Black Swan auditionees and others (like me) are just trembling in their trainers...

Why? Well, this Sunday come rain or shine the most dedicated members of the Thompson team will be taking part in the annual Age UK 10k, The Abbey Dash.

We're running in aid of a fantastic cause, the NET Patient Foundation - a charity close to our hearts. The charity is the only one in the UK to offer advice and support to sufferers and families of those with NETs (neuroendocrine tumours), a relatively uncommon group of cancers. Symptoms are often confused with more common complaints such as IBS, meaning NETs are frequently diagnosed incorrectly or missed completely.

The money you help us raise will enable the NET Patient Foundation to continue their amazing work offering up to date support and advice, raising funds for vital research projects and increasing awareness of this little known illness. Read more here: NET Patient Foundation

So please dig deep for Sarah, Guy, Jonny, myself and the NET Patient Foundation and help us to hit our target of £1,000. And if we do, we promise to take share lots of pictures of Jonny's goosepimply legs.